Sheet feeding mechanism



June'9, 1931. N. cs. A. STRCMBERG ET AL 1,809,495

SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 4. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 erv HRS June 9, 1931. N. G. A. STRGMBERG ET AL 1,309,495

I SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 4. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 9, 1931 UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE NILS GUSTAF ALLAN SON STRGMBERG AND GEORG WILHELM WIlJLUND, OF STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN SHEET FEEDING- MECHANISM Application filed September 4, 1929, Serial No. 390,408, and in Sweden November 17, 1928. h v

The present invention refers to a method and anarrangement for feeding sheets in sheet feeding apparatusfor printing presses, folding machines and so forth. The machines as hitherto constructed for this purpose sufler from many short-comings and disadvantages. In many cases the sheets are conveyed one at a time from the feeder to the printing press or the'like on band conveyers,

and by reason of the fact that each sheet is to be adjusted, prior to entering the printing press, with respect to its position, partly againstv front abutments, and partly against means for a lateral adjustment, the speed of each sheet must be reduced in the proximity of the front abutments. Therefore, an irregular speed is imparted to the band conveyer and thus also to the sheets, which speed is reduced when 'thesheet approaches the I printing press. For this reason it is frequently difficult, to prevent the sheets, which are fed at a great initial speed,fro1n sliding at the reduction in speed, adjacent to the printing press, and to avoid that the sheets will thus not be gripped by the gripping device of the printing cylinder so as to move past the same. A further disadvantage is that the sliding sheet may under certain circumstances, by reason of its great speed, bounce against the abutments. stance the result will be a misprint. Ex-

. perience also shows that, owin to the shortcomings and drawbacks state most interruptions-in printing at a great speed occur in 5 conveying the sheet from the sheet pile.

The present invention has for its object to obviate the said disadvantages, which is effected by. the sheets being fed from the sheet pile onto the abutments of the printing machine, folding machine or the like, on a band conveyer moving very slowly, the sheets being 'so arranged on said conveyer as to partly o'verlap one another, similarly as the scales of a fish. 'The feeding may be effected partly so ceding one, and partly so that a sheet is fed above the next preceding one. In the first mentioned case, before a sheet has left the c sheet pile, the feeding of the next sheet underneath the same should preferably commence.

an accurate reglstration is obtained.

' movement between the grippin members an In every inthat a sheet is fed underneath the next pre-,

In the second case, after a sheet has left the pile, the next sheet should preferably be partly fed over the same. The band conveyer may be in continuous movement while the sheets are successively gripped and delivered to the printing press. Thus. the speed of the printing press may be great, without incurring the risk of getting the sheets disarranged in any way so as to cause interruptions and the like in o eration', in addition to which The arrangement according tothe invention consists substantially of members (suction nozzles or the like) operating underneath or above the sheet conveyer and adapted to grip and/or convey the sheets. These members are guided and devised in such a manner as to pass either underneath or above a sheet on'having delivered the same, back to their initial position. The members operate between endless bands forming the band conveyer, said bands being arranged in the same plane atcertain intervals and being guided over rolls. The proper relative workin the band conveyer is brought a out by means of certain mechanically controlled members which are to'be fully explained in the followin I %he invention will be fully described hereinafter with reference to the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is an assembly drawing of the machine in plan view. Fig. 2'shows a vertical longitudinal section of'the arrangement on line HIIII in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 corresponds to Fig. 2, while showing the parts in another position. Fig. 4 showsa longitudinal section on line IV-IV in'Fig. 1.

The machine comprises two side frames 33 and 34 separated by a plurality of connecting rods tobe described in the following, said connecting rods also serving as p1vots for a numberof rotatable parts of the machine. The main shaft '19 is suitably con- 9 nected to the press, the folding machme or the like, and is driven together with the latter, the main shaft. making one revolution per print. The main shaft 19 is provided with three camdisks 18,27 and32 operating vided on an an ings provided against the slide rolls 17, 26 and 31 respectively. Of the latter, the slide roll 17 is prolar member 10, 16, which is called the ban bridge in the following, and which is rotatable about the transversal shaft 9. This so-calledband-bridge carries on its one arm 10 the three sha'fts 3, 4 and 11 extending ranged to, rive both rolls 1 and 2. The

conveyer band 5 is further guided by the band roll 6 and the band tensioning roll 7 which latter are both arranged on the common transversal shaft 8. Right above each roll 1 and 2 is arranged a rubber wheel 15 and 14 respectively, said, wheels being-provided .on the transversal shafts 12 and 11 respectively. Of these the shaft12 is carried by two bearings 13 secured on a bearing brace extending transversely between the frames, while shaft 11 is supported by bear in the projecting parts of the band bridges 10 (see Fig.

The cam disk 27 secured on the main shaft 19 operates against the'slide roll 26 which is provided on the one of the two arms 24 1 secured to the transversal rod 25, which is pivotally mounted in the two side frames. The

v arms 24 carry between them at their lower ends the transversal pipe 23, from which extend a number of smaller pipes 22 provided with nozzles 21. The said nozzles serve to lift the said sheets by suction from a sheet pile, and to retain said sheets during a certain period, for which purpose vacuum may 23, The effect of the movement of the cam disk 27 consists inthat it actuates the slide roll 26 provided on the one arm, so that the arms 24 are caused to swing." The pipe system 21, 22, 23 'securedto the lower portion of said arms will then perform a reciprocating movement between the points 11 and a Pipe "-23 is rotatably mounted in the lower ends of the arms 24, and in order to guide the same together with the smaller pipes 24 and their nozzles 21 in the vertical direction, there is secured an arm 30 to the pipe. (Fig. 4), which arm is provided with a slide roll '29 rolling on a bell crank lever 28. This bell crank lever is mounted about the same shaft 9 as the band bridge 10, 16.

The cam disk 32 attached. to the main shaft 19 has for its object to impart a movementto the bell crank lever 28 so that the nozzles 21 are raised and lowered, throu h the actuation of said arm, in relation to t e always constant level of the sheets 20. This is effected by the cam disk acting during its rotation against the slide roll 31-prov1ded on the bell. crank lever 28, whereby the said bell crank lever obtains a tilting movement which is transferred onto the slide roll 29 pivotally connected with the arm 30. The arm 30 is, in turn, secured to the pipe 23, so that the effect of the movement of the cam disk '32 will be that the roll 29'is moved up and down by the bell crank lever 28, and that a the nozzles 21 move from the level a, to the level :1 that .is to say up and down relatively to the sheet pile.

The latter is provided on a lift table known per se, said table rising according to the progress of work, so that the uppermost sheet ,will always occupy a position at a constant level.

All of the above-mentioned arms and the like are spring-actuated so that the slide rolls never loose their contact with the cam disks.

The operation of the machine will be described in the following. As a starting point that momentmay be selected, when the no z-' zles 21 bear against the uppermost sheet of the pile 20 (Fig. The main shaft is assumed to rotate in the direction indicated'by the arrow in the drawings.

Movement ,1.-The sheet is sucked fast against the nozzles 21 by means of a vacuum produced within the pipe system 21,22, 23 in the manner previously, described. The said system communicates'through a tubing with a valve system not shown, which is controlled by a cam disk (not shown) on the'cam shaft 19, whereby the air passage is closed and opened at the proper moment.

Movement 2.The suction nozzles 21 are raised together with the uppermost sheet. This is efiected by the bell crank lever 28 with the roll guide being turned upwardly by the cam disk 32 operating against the slide roll 31 (Fig. 4).

Movement 3.The band rolls 1 and 3 are lowered by the band bridge 10, 16 being loW- ered under the control of the camdisk18' which actuates the slide roll 17 provided on the lever arm 18 of the bridge. The wheels 14 on shaft 11 are thus entrained while retaining 'the sheets already fed in between the rolls 2 and 14, (Fig. 3).

Movement 4.The suction nozzles 21 are now moving forwards together with the sheet from 0: to 0: This movement is produced bythe transversal pipe 23 being moved forwards by the two arms 24. -As previously stated, these arms are actuated by the cam disk 27, which operates against the slide roll 26 provided on the one of the arms 24.

Movement 5.In the position of the suction nozzles at a (Fig. 3) the vacuum ceases by the air valve being opened, and the sheet falls down on the band rolls 1.

Movement.6.The pipe system 21, 22, 23

continues to move to its extreme front position, (the'nozzles 21 move from a to 41 At the same time the band bridge 10, 16 is raised together with the band rolls 1 and 2, as well as with the sheet. When the band rolls 1 are pressed up against the rolls 15, the sheet which was last clamped between them is now brought into movement toward the press together with the other moving sheets.

v the action of the cam disk 32 on the slide roll 31, the pipe system 21, 22, 23 being then entrained, until the nozzle '21 has been positioned on the sheet pile. Then movement 1 commences anew, and so forth.

The operations are repeated according to movements 1 to '8. The sheets P P P and so forth thus fed forth (see Figs. 1-4)v will lay themselves partly beneath each other at certain intervals, and are moved forwards "by the underlying conveyer bands under a slowcontinuous movement onto the abutments at the printing cylinder of the press, where they are gripped by the gripping device of the cylinder. The machine may obyiously also be arranged so that the sheets 'will'be placed partly above each other at cer-.

tain intervals. I

The machine is specially adapted for the feeding of all types of paper, from the thi-nnest tissue aper to the thickest card board, but may evidently also be used for other materials, such as fabric, etc.

What we claim is 1. An arrangement for feeding sheets in sheet feeding apparatus for printing machines 'and;the like, includin endless sheetconveying bands, means mova ly supporting the bands in spaced relation whereby por-- tions thereof may be utilized as supporting and conveyingmeans for sheets, and gripping and conveying members movable above and below the plane of the supporting and conveying portions of the bands, and power operated actuating means for moving the gripping and conveying members to'displace the latter relative to the plane of the conveying means of the bands.

2. An arrangement for feeding sheets in sheet feeding apparatus for printing and like machines, including sheet conveying bands,

movement, power operated means for shift.- ing the supporting members associated with certain of the rotatable members, and sheet gripping and conveying members for arranging sheets in continuous overlapping relation on said bands. l

3. An arrangement for feeding's'heets in sheet feeding apparatus for prmting and like machines, including sheet conveying means, sheet gripping and conveying means for arranging sheets in continuous overlapping relatlon, said gripping and conveying means including an oscillating supporting arm, a pipe carriedby said arm, additional pipes communicating with the first mentioned pipe, nozzles communicating with the second mentioned pipes and adapted to engage and grip a sheet by the suction effect produced by pressure reduction in'said pipes, and means for effecting axial and lateral movement of the second mentioned pipes with said nozzles. I

4. An arrangement for feeding sheets in sheet feeding'a-pparatus for printing and like machines, including conveying means including a vertically movable conveying element, sheet gripping and conveying members movable relative to the conveying element for arranging sheets in'continuous overlapping relation thereon, and means for moving the conveying element vertically during the movement of the gripping and conveying members, whereby as the latter move to a position to deposit a sheet on the'conveyi'ng element the latter is lowered.

5. An arrangement for feeding sheets in sheet feeding apparatus for printing and like machines, characterized by the provision of' a conveyor mounted for movement bodily at one end, gripping and conveying members for arranging sheets in continuous overlapping relation on said conveyor, actuating members for effecting movement of said end of the conveyor and said gripping and conveying members, and common plvoting means for both of the actuating members.

6. An arrangement for feeding sheets from a stack including means for feeding sheets in partly overlapping relation continuously from the sheet stack, said means including at least two suction members arranged and operating below the overlapping sheets, said suction -members being adapted to grip the uppermost sheet of the stack at points along the front edge of the sheet and remove the latter from the stack in a direction perpendicular to the front edge of the sheet and to return to their initial position after delivery of the sheet. I

\ 7. ,An arrangement for'feedingsheets from a stack including means for feeding sheets in partly overlappingrelation continuously from the sheet stack, said means including at least two suction members arranged and operating below the overlapping sheets, said suction members being'ada'pted to grip the uppermost sheet of the stack at points along the front edge of the sheet and remove the latter from the stack in a direction perpendicular to the front edge of the sheet and to return to their initial position after delivery of the sheet, and means controlling the movement of said suction members 8. An arrangement for feeding sheets from a stack including means for feeding sheets in partly overlap ing relation continuously from a sheet stac said means including at least two suction members arranged and operating below the overlapping sheets, pivoted arms, a pipe connecting said arms and communicating with the suction members,

latter from the stackin a direction perpendicular to the front edge of the sheet and to return to their initial position after delivery of the sheet, a conveyor arranged adjacent the stack of sheets, means movably supporting ,one end of the conveyor, and means for lowering the portion of the conveyor contiguous to the stack substantially coincidentally with the withdrawing movement of the suction members.

10. An arrangement for feeding sheets from a stack including means for feeding sheets in partly overlapping relation continuously from the sheet stack, said means including at least two suction members arranged and operating below the overlapping sheets, said suction members being adapted to grip the uppermost sheet of the stack at points along the front edge of the sheet and remove the latter from the stack in a direction perpendicular to the front edge of the sheets, said suction members being adapted to I sheet and to return to their initial position after delivery of the sheet, a conveyor for the sheets, rollers associated with the conveyor and arranged at different distances from the stack of sheets, and means for effecting relative movement of one roller and the adjacent portion of the conveyor in timed relation to the movement of the suction members.

11. An arrangement for feeding sheets from a staclcincluding means for feeding sheets in partly overlapping relation continuously from the-sheet stack, said means including at least two suction members ar ranged and operating below the overlapping grip the uppermost sheet of the stack at remove the latter from the stack in a direction perpendicular to the front edge of the sheet and to return to their initial position after delivery of the sheet, a conveyor for the" sheets, rollers associated with the conveyor and arranged at different distances from the stack of sheets, and means for effecting relative movement of one roller and the adjacent portion of the conveyor in timed relation to the movement of the suction members, the other roller continually exerting pressure on the conveyor.

12. An arrangement for feeding sheets from a stack including means for feeding sheets in partly overlapping relation continuously from the sheet stack, said means including at least two suction members arranged and operating below the overlapping sheets, said suction members being adapted to grip the uppermost sheet of the stack at points along the front edge of the sheet and remove the latter from the stack in a direction perpendicular. to the front edge of the sheet and to return to their initial position after delivery of the sheet, a conveyor for the rollers being independently mounted.

for feeding sheets 13. An arrangement from a stack including means for feeding sheets in partly overlapping relation continuously-from the sheet stack, said means 1ncluding 'at least two suction members arranged and operating below the overlapping sheets, said suction members being adapted to grip the uppermost sheet'of the stack at points along the'front edge of the sheet and remove the latter from thestack in a direction perpendicular to the front edge of the sheet and to return to their initial position after delivery of the sheet, a conveyor associated with the suction members, and a pivotal mounting common to both the suction members and a portion of said conveyor. v

In testimony-whereof we aifix our signatures.

NILS GUSTAF ALLANSON STRGMBERG.

GEORG WILHELM WIDLUND.

points along the front edge of the sheet and a 

